Music of the Gods

A Series of Short Stories by UndeniablyMe

A/n: Thanks for the reviews guys! They were fantabulous. I'm glad that some people actually liked my stuff. And now, here's the next little one shot/short story. Enjoy, and I'll see you all at the bottom. (Hopefully :D)

-UndeniablyMe ;)

Diary of Jane- Breaking Benjamin

Percy stared at his ceiling and tried not to dwell too much on the mounting danger that was ever becoming his life. He had to leave soon, he knew it. Just by staying around he was putting his mother and Paul in more and more danger, and he couldn't do that to his mother anymore. She had spent years with Smelly Gabe for his sake; just to keep him safe, and how did he repay her? By putting her in even more danger.

It'd be hard to leave though. His mom was creating somewhat of a paradise in the new apartment that she and Paul had moved into over the school year. It was closer to the High School and Percy didn't even have to ride the subway to get to school anymore. He drove with Paul every morning. That'd have to end soon too.

Something was coming, something big… And he had to be ready for it.

The conversation with Nico swirled in his mind, confusing him and making him nauseous. He didn't dwell on it because it made him feel like the Titan lord was closer and was ever watchful. Which, he was, but he didn't like thinking it anyways.

Instead Percy directed his thoughts, as distracted as they were, to other things, like the semi-peaceful summer he had spent with Grover and Tyson after their adventure in the Labyrinth. He noticed, with a sad recollection, that Annabeth wasn't in his memories as much as he would've liked to have her. But she was so strange, so hard to understand, so… girlish.

How many times had they fought? How many times had he tried to apologize for something that he wasn't sure about just to have her stomp away, insisting that it wasn't good enough? How many more times would he have to do that?

Percy had tried. He had tried so many times to find his place, where he fit exactly, with Annabeth and all he had come to was some kind of shaky space between friendship and a hard spot. Oh, how he had tried to understand her, but it just wasn't possible. The girl was, after all, a daughter of Athena, and not to be understood in the first place, but it wasn't just that either. It wasn't just that her mother was Athena and his father was Poseidon. It was something else getting in the way. There was something getting in the way, and he couldn't get past it. And he knew exactly what it was. Luke.

Just the name made his stomach curl. That backstabber, who had masqueraded as his friend and tried to kill him—no, not just kill him, maim him, and all of the people he cared about in one go, and Annabeth still could feel something for him. The thought made him sore and sick and he clenched his hand around the pen that was always in his pocket out of reflex.

Riptide… The feel of the pen made his blood cool slightly.

Its history was a sad tragic one Chiron had said when first giving it. He thought about that as he got up and paced around his room. For a sword, it had served him quite faithfully. It always returned to him and it never turned it's back on him. It was just as good as any friend he'd ever had, minus Luke, and it was made by a friend who had passed... A talisman, of sorts, to remember her by...

When thinking about Riptide though, he couldn't help thinking about the girl who had given up everything to help a hero, and who just ended up getting messed up in the end. It wasn't fair what had happened to Zoë, and her hero gave all of the heroes a bad name. And yet, he was worshipped for it, because no one knew the truth. Did he really want to end up like Hercules?

Percy didn't dwell there. He didn't want to be like Hercules or Theseus or Perseus or whatever other hero there was. He wanted to be Percy. And Percy couldn't help but wonder if, in the end Annabeth went to help Luke, her story would end up a lot like Zoë's.

He closed his eyes, haunted by the image of Annabeth at Luke's mercy like he had seen in the dream two summers ago. Annabeth, so strong, proud and funny, should not have to bend to the forced will of another. Just the thought of it was so wrong. Just as wrong as the thought of a world without Annabeth. Everyone had thought her dead once, and just the thought that it was quite possible that she may be dead, had cut him so deep that not even the sea could heal him again. Annabeth in pain was not something that Percy liked living with.

But Annabeth was tough, demanding, free spirited, and smart. She didn't give in ever, she never took the easy way out of things. It was something he liked best about her. It was something that was so thoroughly Annabeth that he couldn't help but give a small smile as he thought about it. He wouldn't have her any other way.

"Okay Annabeth," he said, staring at the picture of her, Grover and him taken at the end of the summer. Her eyebrow was up, as if challenging him to impress her. "I give up trying to figure you out. But you'll do the right thing." I hope…

He wasn't sure what the choice was exactly, but he really hoped what ever she chose, he didn't end up dead. The Underworld was scary enough with Annabeth and Grover at his side, it'd be hard to go back there without them both.

A/n: And on that happy note, this would be the end. :D I don't know what I think about this chapter, to be quite honest. It's shorter than my usual things and a little… weird... I also think it's slightly out of character for Percy to be sitting still for so long but oh well. Drop me a note, tell me what you think! :D

-UndeniablyMe ;)